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 Topic: ARGH!! Awning Help
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27/11/2010 at 1:12pm
Location: south lanarkshire
Outfit: Abbey Aventura 325
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Joined: 22/11/2010 Standard Member
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With any "traditional" awning, the secret is in preparation.
I lay out my ground sheet and this is a good surface to unfold the awning on.
I then start sorting out poles; the front frame is put together in compact form, but with the pole clamps loosened enough to be able to turn them at a grasp. (its no good having them overtight as its not good for the clamps; only tighten them to hold them in place once the awning is up).Bearing in mind that the front frame includes the legs at each end and one in the middle. Build the front frame face down.
No the roof poles should be laid out with the hook ends towards the caravan; just lay them on the floor.
If you have a large caravan, you'll have a large awning; and thus you will have two extra roof poles and two extra legs; keep these out of the way for the moment; you dont need them until the awning is actually up.
Thread the awning leader around the awning rail; if you have rail entry points at about head height, these are handy; saves alot of bending and makes it easier to thread at head height, threads through easier.
Then you thread the loose ends down at the same entry points making sure you dont kink the leader.
Making sure you have equal amounts of slack awning at the front and rear ends of the caravan, you then go indoors, and lift the centre of the front frame, and thread it through the hole there; repeat this at the two ends. You may notice that the legs are trailing at an angle towards the caravan, lift the awning by the poles so that they stand at about 45degrees. THIS holds the awning open and you can work in there. get your awning blocks (the little blocks that lock onto the second awning leader; these blocks take the hook end of the roof poles.
Start with the centre roof pole; undo the clamp so it telescopes out easily, hook it into the awning block, and slide it out so it meets the front frame; fit it to the front frame.
repeat this on the other two leg poles. Now tighten the roof poles in place; not too tight! Just hold it there.
Now go outside and fit the three short extension tubes that hold the canopy of the awning out. Make sure the clamp is loosened off so you can get it in; pop the little peg on the end through the hole/eyelet in the awning.
IF, like me, you have an eyelet at the front of the canopy AND one for the front frame, you may find that the awning may keep lifting off; a way around this is to fit a rubber tap washer over the one for the front frame. This holds it down in place making it easier to put the awning up and get the correct tension in the extension poles and hence, the main roof poles!
You can go back under inside and start straightening the legs up; you'll need to extend them too to get the awning at the right height.
I usually get my daughter to go around fitting the little ladder tie-downs and leave a ground peg at each one while i'm doing this.
With the legs all extended and the awning sitting correctly; its time to start pegging out.
I always start pegging at the front and back of the caravan, at the outer corners, pull the material out until the mudwall is straight and the mud FLAPS are about 2" above the ground. Many will do this differently, its a matter of personal preference. Some with have the bottom of the mudwalling at or just above the ground; i set it 2" above until i get it all set out.
NOW start zipping in place, the panels; you cant really set the correct tension at the front faced corners of the awning until the panels are all in. This is because if you set the tensions without the panels; you may not be able to zip all the panels in, and this puts the zips under a considerable pressure.
Zips should be easy to open and close, you should not need to force them. If your zips are tight to open and close then you need to go around and check the tension of the poles and pegs.
Now the panels are all in, you can set the two front corners and then peg all the panels. You may need to extend the leg poles a bit and actually move the leg sideways to get it into the correct position.
I final check on pole tensions and youre ready to fit the extra roof poles and legs if you have them.
I like the front and ends nice and straight; but this has to be a trade-off between position and tension, and i have it set so that the zips are easy to use.
I know this seems alot to take in; why not print it? its the way i set out an awning; i have no tape on my poles; i just know where they all go; because i keep them paired up when i put the awning away, and many of my poles have a spring that flexes to keep the poles together.
have fun folks!
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Come to me all wots weak and overloaded; and i'll give yer a cuppa!
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27/11/2010 at 3:06pm
Location: Polesworth Warwickshire
Outfit: Bailey Unicorn III Valencia (LR Disco)
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This is very close to how we do it, aventuraman. However, we often start to put our awning up from the side rather than the middle - there is little in it, and we have done it both ways. I don't put a peg in until we have zipped the panels in. This means we can lift up a corner of the 'canvas' and zip it in comfortably from waist height rather than grovel on the floor, and it saves having to take pegs out again if they are slightly in the wrong place. The first pegs we put in are those against the van either side, then the corners, then the middle (by the centre pole), then we 'fill-in'.
What I have found a pain is the wing-nut/screw type tighteners for the poles. Isabella awnings now have a nice grip mechanism, but I have taken off all our wing nuts and replaced them with the Ventura Fixus tighteners, which makes adjusting the poles much easier. I've posted this before but here they are again for those who have not seen them.
P.S. We always take a foldable two-step, step ladder with us. It makes the high bits much easier to cope with.
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David
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